Several genes associated with drug metabolism have been found to be polymorphic. As a result, the abilities of individual patients to metabolize a particular drug may vary greatly. This can prove problematic or dangerous where an increased concentration of a non-metabolized drug or its metabolites is capable of producing unwanted physiological effects.
The cytochrome P450 2D6 gene (CYP2D6), located on chromosome 22, encodes the Phase I drug metabolizing enzyme debrisoquine hydroxylase. A large number of drugs are known to be metabolized by debrisoquine hydroxylase, including many common central nervous system and cardiovascular drugs. One such drug is iloperidone (1-[4-[3-[4-(6-fluoro-1,2-benzisoxazol-3-yl)-1-piperidinyl]propoxy]-3-methoxyphenyl]ethanone). Iloperidone and methods for its production and use as an antipsychotic and analgesic are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,866 to Strupczewski et al. The diseases and disorders that can be treated by administration of iloperidone include all forms of schizophrenia (i.e., paranoid, catatonic, disorganized, undifferentiated, and residual), schizoaffective disorders, bipolar mania/depression, cardiac arrhythmias, Tourette's Syndrome, brief psychotic disorder, delusional disorder, psychotic disorder NOS (not otherwise specified), psychotic disorder due to a general medical condition, schizophreniform disorder, and substance-induced psychotic disorder. P88 is an active metabolite of iloperidone. See, e.g., PCT WO2003020707, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Among the unwanted physiological effects associated with an increased concentration of iloperidone or its metabolites is prolongation of the electrocardiographic QT interval. Mutations in the CYP2D6 gene have been associated with a number of drug metabolism-related phenotypes. These include the ultra rapid metabolizer (UM), extensive metabolizer (EM), intermediate metabolizer (IM), and poor metabolizer (PM) phenotypes. Where a particular drug is capable of producing unwanted physiological effects in its metabolized or non-metabolized forms, it is desirable to determine whether a patient is a poor metabolizer of the drug prior to its administration.
A number of references are directed toward the identification of CYP2D6 mutations and their corresponding phenotypes. For example, United States Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0083485 to Milos et al. describes a novel CYP2D6 variant associated with the PM phenotype and methods for assessing whether an individual possesses the variant prior to the administration of a drug. United States Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0072235 to Dawson describes a primer set useful in identifying variants of the CYP2D6 gene. Similarly, United States Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0091909 to Huang describes methods for screening an individual for variants in the CYP2D6 gene and other cytochrome P450 genes and tailoring the individual's drug therapy according to his or her phenotypic profile. Finally, United States Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0096874 to Neville et al. describes methods for identifying cytochrome P450 variants.